Meeting Agamemnon's Shade and the Tale of His Death — Odyssey §11.358-11.427 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καὶ κε τὸ βουλοίμην, καί κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη,

And I should indeed wish that, and it would be far better,

πλειοτέρῃ σὺν χειρὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἱκέσθαι·

to return to my dear fatherland with a fuller hand.

καί κʼ αἰδοιότερος καὶ φίλτερος ἀνδράσιν εἴην

And I should be more respected and loved by all men,

πᾶσιν, ὅσοι μʼ Ἰθάκηνδε ἰδοίατο νοστήσαντα.

as many as should see me having returned home to Ithaca.

τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε·

And Alcinous in turn answered him and spoke:

ὦ Ὀδυσεῦ, τὸ μὲν¹ οὔ τί σʼ ἐίσκομεν εἰσορόωντες,

"O Odysseus, looking upon you, we do not at all deem you to be this,

ἠπεροπῆά τʼ ἔμεν καὶ ἐπίκλοπον, οἷά τε πολλοὺς

a deceiver and a cheat, such as many

βόσκει γαῖα μέλαινα πολυσπερέας ἀνθρώπους,

the dark earth breeds among widely scattered men,

ψεύδεά τʼ ἀρτύνοντας ὅθεν κέ τις οὐδὲ ἴδοιτο·

fashioning lies from which one could not even see anything.

σοὶ δʼ ἔπι μὲν μορφὴ ἐπέων, ἔνι δὲ φρένες ἐσθλαί.

But upon you is the grace of words, and within you is a noble mind.

μῦθον δʼ ὡς ὅτʼ ἀοιδὸς ἐπισταμένως κατέλεξας,

And you have related your story skillfully, like a singer,

πάντων τʼ Ἀργείων σέο τʼ αὐτοῦ κήδεα λυγρά.

even the grievous sorrows of all the Argives and of yourself.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

But come, tell me this and relate it precisely,

εἴ τινας ἀντιθέων ἑτάρων ἴδες, οἵ τοι ἅμʼ αὐτῷ

if you saw any of your godlike companions, who together with you

Ἴλιον εἰς ἅμʼ ἕποντο καὶ αὐτοῦ πότμον ἐπέσπον.

followed to Ilium and met their fate there.

νὺξ δʼ ἥδε μάλα μακρή, ἀθέσφατος· οὐδέ πω ὥρη

And this night is very long, boundless; nor is it yet time

εὕδειν ἐν μεγάρῳ, σὺ δέ μοι λέγε θέσκελα ἔργα.

to sleep in the hall; but do tell me of these wondrous deeds.

καί κεν ἐς ἠῶ δῖαν ἀνασχοίμην, ὅτε μοι σὺ

And I could hold out even until the divine dawn, when you

τλαίης ἐν μεγάρῳ τὰ σὰ κήδεα μυθήσασθαι.

would bring yourself to tell me your sorrows in the hall."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

And answering him spoke resourceful Odysseus:

Ἀλκίνοε κρεῖον, πάντων ἀριδείκετε λαῶν,

"Lord Alcinous, most illustrious of all peoples,

ὥρη μὲν πολέων μύθων, ὥρη δὲ καὶ ὕπνου·

there is a time for many words, and there is a time also for sleep.

εἰ δʼ ἔτʼ ἀκουέμεναί γε λιλαίεαι, οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ γε

But if you still desire to listen, I indeed

τούτων² σοι φθονέοιμι καὶ οἰκτρότερʼ ἄλλʼ ἀγορεύειν,

should not grudge to tell you of other things even more pitiful than these,

κήδεʼ ἐμῶν ἑτάρων, οἳ δὴ μετόπισθεν ὄλοντο,

the sorrows of my companions, who perished afterwards,

οἳ Τρώων μὲν ὑπεξέφυγον στονόεσσαν ἀυτήν,

who escaped indeed the mournful battle-cry of the Trojans,

ἐν νόστῳ δʼ ἀπόλοντο κακῆς ἰότητι γυναικός.

but perished in their return by the will of an evil woman.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ ψυχὰς μὲν ἀπεσκέδασʼ ἄλλυδις ἄλλῃ

But when holy Persephoneia had scattered this way and that the spirits of the women,

ἁγνὴ Περσεφόνεια γυναικῶν θηλυτεράων,

ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο

there came up the spirit of Agamemnon, son of Atreus,

ἀχνυμένη· περὶ δʼ ἄλλαι ἀγηγέραθʼ, ὅσσοι ἅμʼ αὐτῷ

sorrowing; and around him others were gathered, as many as together with him

οἴκῳ ἐν Αἰγίσθοιο θάνον καὶ πότμον ἐπέσπον.

died in the house of Aegisthus and met their fate.

ἔγνω δʼ αἶψʼ ἔμʼ ἐκεῖνος, ἐπεὶ πίεν αἷμα κελαινόν·

And he knew me straightway, when he had drunk the dark blood;

κλαῖε δʼ ὅ γε λιγέως, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβων,

and he wept aloud, shedding copious tears,

πιτνὰς εἰς ἐμὲ χεῖρας, ὀρέξασθαι μενεαίνων·

stretching out his hands towards me, eager to reach me.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ οἱ ἔτʼ ἦν ἲς ἔμπεδος οὐδέ τι κῖκυς,

But indeed there was no longer any steadfast strength in him, nor any vigor,

οἵη περ πάρος ἔσκεν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσι.

such as was formerly in his supple limbs.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ δάκρυσα ἰδὼν ἐλέησά τε θυμῷ,

I wept when I saw him, and pitied him in my heart,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδων·

and speaking I addressed him with winged words:

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε, ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον,

'Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, king of men,

τίς νύ σε κὴρ ἐδάμασσε τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο;

what doom of grievous death subdued you?

ἦε σέ γʼ ἐν νήεσσι Ποσειδάων ἐδάμασσεν

Did Poseidon subdue you in your ships,

ὄρσας ἀργαλέων ἀνέμων ἀμέγαρτον ἀυτμήν;

raising a terrible blast of cruel winds?

ἦέ σʼ ἀνάρσιοι ἄνδρες ἐδηλήσαντʼ ἐπὶ χέρσου

Or did hostile men harm you on the mainland,

βοῦς περιταμνόμενον ἠδʼ οἰῶν πώεα καλά,

while you were cutting off their cattle and fair flocks of sheep,

ἠὲ περὶ πτόλιος μαχεούμενον ἠδὲ γυναικῶν;

or while they were fighting for their city and their women?'

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·

So I spoke, and he straightway answering addressed me:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

'Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, resourceful Odysseus,

οὔτʼ ἐμέ γʼ ἐν νήεσσι Ποσειδάων ἐδάμασσεν

neither did Poseidon subdue me in my ships,

ὄρσας ἀργαλέων ἀνέμων ἀμέγαρτον ἀυτμήν,

raising a terrible blast of cruel winds,

οὔτε μʼ ἀνάρσιοι ἄνδρες ἐδηλήσαντʼ ἐπὶ χέρσου,

nor did hostile men harm me on the mainland,

ἀλλά μοι Αἴγισθος τεύξας θάνατόν τε μόρον τε

but Aegisthus, having fashioned death and doom for me,

ἔκτα σὺν οὐλομένῃ ἀλόχῳ, οἶκόνδε καλέσσας,

slew me with my destructive wife, having called me to his house

δειπνίσσας, ὥς τίς τε κατέκτανε βοῦν ἐπὶ φάτνῃ.

and feasted me, as one slays an ox at the manger.

ὣς θάνον οἰκτίστῳ θανάτῳ· περὶ δʼ ἄλλοι ἑταῖροι

Thus I died a most pitiful death; and around me my other companions

νωλεμέως κτείνοντο σύες ὣς ἀργιόδοντες,

were slain without ceasing, like white-tusked swine

οἵ ῥά τʼ ἐν ἀφνειοῦ ἀνδρὸς μέγα δυναμένοιο

which are slaughtered in the house of a rich man of great power,

ἢ γάμῳ ἢ ἐράνῳ ἢ εἰλαπίνῃ τεθαλυίῃ.

either at a wedding, or a joint feast, or a rich banquet.

ἤδη μὲν πολέων φόνῳ ἀνδρῶν ἀντεβόλησας,

Already you have met with the slaughter of many men,

μουνὰξ κτεινομένων καὶ ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ·

slain in single combat or in the strong battle;

ἀλλά κε κεῖνα μάλιστα ἰδὼν ὀλοφύραο³ θυμῷ,

but you would have lamented most of all in your heart had you seen those things,

ὡς ἀμφὶ κρητῆρα τραπέζας τε πληθούσας

how we lay in the hall around the mixing-bowl and the laden tables,

κείμεθʼ ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ, δάπεδον δʼ ἅπαν αἵματι θῦεν.

and the whole floor swam with blood.

οἰκτροτάτην δʼ ἤκουσα ὄπα Πριάμοιο θυγατρός,

And I heard the most pitiful voice of the daughter of Priam,

Κασσάνδρης, τὴν κτεῖνε Κλυταιμνήστρη δολόμητις

Cassandra, whom guileful Clytemnestra slew

ἀμφʼ ἐμοί, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ ποτὶ γαίῃ⁴ χεῖρας ἀείρων

beside me; but I, raising my hands as I lay on the ground,

βάλλον ἀποθνήσκων περὶ φασγάνῳ· ἡ δὲ κυνῶπις

cast them around my sword as I died; but the dog-faced woman

νοσφίσατʼ, οὐδέ μοι ἔτλη ἰόντι περ εἰς Ἀίδαο

turned away, nor did she dare, though I was going to the house of Hades,

χερσὶ κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἑλέειν σύν τε στόμʼ ἐρεῖσαι.

to close my eyes with her hands and shut my mouth.

ὣς οὐκ αἰνότερον καὶ κύντερον ἄλλο γυναικός,

Thus there is nothing more dreadful and shameless than a woman,

Syntax notes4 items

11.363τὸ μὲν
The neuter accusative singular of the pronoun is used adverbially ('as to this' or 'in this way'), anticipating the following infinitive phrase describing a deceiver or thief.
11.381τούτων
The verb φθονέω (to grudge, withhold) governs a dative of the person and a genitive of the thing. Here, it means 'I should not grudge you these things'.
11.418κε ... ὀλοφύραο
The particle κε combined with the aorist indicative ὀλοφύραο expresses a past contrafactual apodosis ('you would have lamented').
11.423ποτὶ γαίῃ
Meaning 'on the ground'. This prepositional phrase can modify either the dying state (ἀποθνήσκων) or the action of casting his hands down (βάλλον), emphasizing Agamemnon's physical collapse.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.358-11.427